Valve control means



Patented Sept. 4, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- VALVE CONTROL MEANS Otto Thlel, Detroit, Mich.

Application December 6, 1943, Serial No. 513,159

2 Claims.

This application relates to control means for gas charged liquid devices, such as carbonators, and particularly to means for controlling the vent valve of such devices.

The control means herein disclosed may be understood upon reference to the appended drawings.

In these drawings,

Fig. 1 shows the control arrangement with the valve open.

Fig. 2 shows the parts with the valve closed.

Figs. 3 and 4 are the other views.

The drawings show a sealed bottom tank l whose upper end is closed by a'head II having a valved vent opening |2 adapted to be closed by.

a needle valve l3 pivotally connected at its lower end II to a counterweight lever l5 pivotally mounted at [6 on a boss I! of the head II, the pivot l6 also mounting a cross lever l8 which has an end l9 connected to a link 20 to which is fixed a cup 2|, the lower end of the link 2|] being pivotally connected at 22 to a cross lever 23 mounted on a fixed pivot 24 formed on a stop 25 fixed to the side of the tank II); the other end 26 of the cross lever 23 is pivotally connected to the'lower end of a counterweight rod 21 whose upper end 28 is pivotally connected to the cross lever l8. A parallelogram for parallel motion is formed by the cross levers l8 and 23, the link 20, and the counterweight rod 21, so that parts 20 and 21 are guided to move truly vertically in the tank in response to movement of the cross levers.

An inverted cup 30 is pivotally suspended at 3| from the boss I! formed on the head II and has a lug 32 whose end has a roller 33 adapted to cooperate with the surface of a cam and stop element 34 fixed to the rod 21, to form a latch for the rod 21, controlled by cup 30.

The operation is as follows:

Assume the cycle starts with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings; the valve is open, and the water level is low, well below the upper end of the lower cup 2| which is filled with water and whose weight has overcome the counterweight 21 and has lowered vent valve |3 to open. The weight of the upper cup 30, now empty and not floating upon water, has placed the roller 33 under stop 34 to latch the rod 21 in valve open position; not until cup 30 rises to unlatch rod 21 can the parts move. The

weight of cup 2| pulls down on cross lever l8 and raises point 28 which pushes counterweight lever l5 clockwise to maintain the valve |3 open.

If water is admitted to a level above cup 2|, that cup will become completely submerged and 55 will-no longer oppose the counterweight. However, nothing will happen until the water level becomes high enough to raise the upper cup 30 and rock it counter-clockwise on its pivot 3| to unlatch the counterweightat 3334; the counterweight, being unlatched; and also now being unopposed by cup 2|, drops quickly and releases the free end of the counterweight lever'l5 which then 'rocks counter-clockwise on pivot I6 to close the valve l3. This is the position of Fig. 2;

If enough water be drawn off so that the water level drops below the upper edge of cup,2|, suflicient'to give that'cup-weight in excess of counterweight 21, and in excess of the retaining forces produced by the weight of the upper cup, through roller 33 on cam 34, then the valve will be opened with a snap action as follows: Cup 2| will drop,

because by'this time it has weight. In dropping,

it will move rod 21 up, first to unlatch the upper cup at 33 34, then, to take up the slack between its upper end and the lever 15, and finally, to

rock that lever clockwise to open the valve I3 quickly with a, snap action and return the parts to the position ofFig. 1, with the valve full open.

It is noted here that not until the lower cup has a weight well in excessof the counterweight, sufiicient to release the latch at 3334, will the counterweight move up for any useful function. Atfirst, the counterweightwill move up slightly, (from the position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3) that is, until itsmovement is arrested by the roller 33 which blocks the stop 34 and the counterweight against further upward movement. However, when the weight of the lower cup is well in excess of the counterweight, then the lower cup will pull down hard and this will push the counterweight up hard and the cam slope at 33-34 will snap the latch to release, and this action will cause a fast opening movement of the valve.

Now having described the control means herein disclosed, reference should be had to the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A control means for the upper head vent valve of a tank having a gas charged liquid inlet and a gas charged liquid outlet, and having a vent, and a valve below it for rising and closing it or for dropping and opening it, comprising a counterweight made up of a plurality of members, one member being connected to the valve and having a normal tendency to drop and thus bias said valve upwardly to close, but also movable upwardly to bias said valve downwardly to open, an open top liquid filled cup at the lower end of the tank operatively connected to another memmembers and permits the counterweight member which is connected, to the valve to drop and lift the valve to close, a latch means for the counterweight member which is connected to the cup to prevent it from rising or falling, an open bottom I cup at the upper end of the tank arranged to move up or down with the rise or fall of the liquid level and operatively connected to-the latch in such a manner that when the said upper cup is raised it unlatches the counterweightnmembe'r which is connected to the cup to move upwardly or downwardly; but when the upper cup drops, it latches the counterweight member which is 'connectedto the cup to hold it elevated, if it is already up in the valve-open position and thus prevents the counterweight members from dropping to close the valve, or tohold it lowered, if it is already down in the valve closed-position, and

thus prevents the counterweight members from rising to open the valve, and a. cam on the counterweight member which is connected to the cup for providinga snap release of the latch, when the counterweight member which is connected to the cup is down and is held down by the upper 1 cup and latch, whereby, when the weight of the lower cup is in excess of the counterweight members, but only then, the lower cup will drop, to actuate the cam to release the latch, in opposition to the weight of the upper cup, and move the j counterweight members upwardly and thus move the valve to open with a snap action; the upper cup then dropping to relatch the counterweight member which is connected to the cup, but this time in its elevated and valve-open position.

2. A'control means for'the upper head vent valve of a tank having a gas charged liquid inlet and a gas charged liquidoutlet, and having a an open top liquid filled cup at the lower end of the tank operatively connected to another member of the counterweight in such a manner that when the liquid level is below the upper end of said lower cup it tends to drop and overcome the effect of and lift both the counterweight members and lower the valve to open, but when the liquid level is above the said lower cup, it exerts no bias on the counterweight member which is connected to the cup but rather, freesfbothicounterweight members and permits the counterweight member which is connected to the valve to drop and lift the valve to close, a latch means for the counterweight member which is connected to the cup to prevent it'from rising or falling, an open bottom -cup at the upper end of the tank arranged to move up or down with the'rise or fall of the liquid level and operatively connected to the latch in such a manner that when the said upper cup is raised it unlatches the counterweight member which is connected to the cup to'move upwardly or downwardly, but when the upper cup drops,

-it latches the counterweight memberwhich is connected to the cup to holdit elevated, if it is already up in the valve-open position'and thus prevents the counterweight members from drop-' ping to close the valve, or to hold it lowered, if it is already down in the valve closed-position,

and thus prevents the counterweight members from rising to open the valve, and a cam on the counterweight member which is connected to the cup forproviding a snaprelease of the latch,

' when the counterweight member which isiconnected to the cup is down and is held down by the upper cup and latch, whereby, .when the weight of the lower cup is in-excess of the coun- 1 terweight members, but only then, the lower cup will drop, to actuate the cam to release the latch,

vent, and a valve below it for rising and closing it or for dropping and opening it, comprising a counterweight made up of a plurality of members,

one member being connected to the valve and having a normal tendency to drop and thus bias said valve upwardly to close, but also movable upwardly to bias said valve downwardly to open,

in opposition to the weight of theupper cup, and move the counterweight members upwardly and thus move the valve to'open with a snap action,

the upper cup then dropping to relatch the counterweight member which is connected to the cup, but this time in its elevated and valve-open position, the upper cup having a pivotal mounting with the latch comprising interengaging formations on the counterweight member which is connected to the cup and on said upper cup, re-

leased by upward pivotal movementof the upper .cup, and reset by downward pivotal movement of the upper cup. i

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